The next conflict we will focus on now, is the Abyssinian Crisis.

As we did with the Manchurian Crisis, we will work on recorded evidence and in this case, we will be able to listen to witnesses of the event and their impressions on what happened.

Questions:

• WHAT WAS THE ITALIAN EMPIRE LIKE BY 1930?

The Italian empire was insignificant compared with other powerful empires succh as Britain and France

• HOW DID SENATOR GIORGIO PISANO EXPLAIN ITALY’S ATTITUDE FOR CONQUEST?

Senator Giorgio Pisano couldn’t understand why they shouldn’t conquer Ethiopia, while England and France were conquering the middle East, India and others places of the world.

• WHAT IS ABYSSINIA TODAY? WHAT WAS THE SITUATION BY 1930?

Abyssinia today is Ethiopia, by 1930 she was very poor, she was going backwards and she practiced slavery.

• WHAT EXCUSE DID MUSSOLINI HAVE TO CONQUER ABYSSINIA?

Mussolini’s excuse to conquer Abyssinia was that he needed raw materials and land because of the fact that the population was incrising.

• WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN IN ITALY’S INVASION?

Before beginning his expansion into Ethiopia, Mussolini asked  Britain and France for their permission. On the hand hand, France accepted, but on the other hand, Britain was ambigous.

• WHAT EVIDENCE DOES MUSSOLINI’S DAUGHTER PROVIDE?

Mussolini’s daughter told everyone that they were going to Ethiopia. She asked McDonald, who was the prime minister at that time, if the English would go to war (that was her main concern). He answered “no”. So she asked if they were going to take any action. And the prime minister respond “ofcourse, but we won’t make war”

• WHAT DID YOUNG SOLDIERS BELIEVE WAS THEIR DUTY TOWARDS ITALY?

Young soldiers believed their duty was to unificate Italy and to make it greater

• WHAT WAS CONTROVERSIAL ABOUT THE USE OF POISON GAS BY THE ITALIANS?

Mussolini, seven years before he made a secret treaty improving the use of Poison Gas, had not only renounced to it, but it had also called it uncivilized.

• WHAT DID THE LEAGUE DECIDE TO DO? HOW EFFECTIVE WERE THOSE MEASURES?

The League decided to impose limited sanctions to Mussolini’s actions, however, those  weren’t military’s. So Italy conquered Abyssinia, so those measures weren’t efective.

• HOW DID ORDINARY PEOPLE REACTION TO SANCTIONS?

Ordinary people believed the sanctions were unfair and that they were an obstacle for Italy to recover.